Nets need Deron Williams to remain aggressive

Nets point guard Deron Williams is a three-time All-Star in the middle of a maximum contract. The 29-year-old is no longer noticeably hindered by the ankle injuries that robbed him of his explosiveness and confidence the first three months of the season.

Deron Williams will be the first to admit his passive approach is a hindrance to the Nets.

And Sunday, when the Nets had the chance to seize control of their first-round playoff series, Williams’ performance was, admittedly, inconsequential.

"The last three quarters, I wasn’t really a factor," Williams said after the Nets lost Game 4, falling into a 2-2 series tie with the Raptors. "So, that’s a big part of it."

Williams’ honesty is refreshing, almost admirable. But it is also becoming tiresome and downright perplexing.

Williams was once a bona fide star in the NBA. Now, there’s a growing perception that his best days are behind him. And the fact that he must be reminded, constantly, to stay aggressive isn’t helping.

No one can seem to answer why consistent aggression is a problem for a player of Williams’ caliber.

"This is a team loaded with All-Stars," coach Jason Kidd said when asked why the former All-Star seems to become passive at times. "It is not so much a problem, it’s just for Deron, his energy, having high energy and playing with that energy for 48 minutes when he’s out on the floor, the rest of the guys follow."

Williams scored 10 points in the Nets’ Game 4 loss, dishing out six assists. But only two of those points and two of those assists came after the first quarter. He finished 4-for-12 from the field, 0-for-5 from three-point range and had five turnovers. He did not get to the free-throw line after the first quarter.

"I thought in that first quarter, he was playing with a lot of energy," Kidd said. "For him, it is about playing with that same energy and the intent of being aggressive."

Making matters worse, somehow, is that Williams and the Nets were torched by Kyle Lowry. The Raptors’ point guard, hobbling around on a bum right knee, finished with 22 points.

Williams admitted that his teammates were encouraging him to stay aggressive entering Game 4.

"At times, I can get complacent, just because we have so many weapons on this team," Williams said Saturday. "We’re kind of an equal-opportunity team, so I’ve just got to remember to stay aggressive — and my teammates are reminding me, coaches are reminding, so that’s just what I’m going to keep doing."

But, somehow, that attitude did not carry over into Sunday night. Williams started deferring. And when the game was begging to be taken over in the fourth quarter — when the Nets didn’t have a field goal for the final six minutes — Williams did not embrace the moment.

"I was aggressive to start the game," Williams said. "And then we were making our run, I was drawing and kicking and making the right play and we got into the game and I think that took away from my aggressiveness a little bit. That’s just on me."

The final result of the series could hinge on Williams, too. When he has been aggressive — in Games 1 and 3 — the Nets have won. When he has not — in Games 2 and 4 — the Nets have lost.